The next day, the friends are at Crystal Prep Academy with C-81 parked outside the gate. “We got a foot from Muffins, ‘Bee’s upper right arm from Micro Chips, now we need his body and left arm from here.” Sunset Shimmer summarized.
“I’ll call Dean Cadence to let us in.” Sci-Twi answered as she takes her phone.
“Your Cadence is the dean?” Twilight Sparkle repeated.
“What about your Cadence?” Sci-Twi asked inquisitively.
“She’s the princess of the Crystal Empire, ruling it alongside Shining Armor.” Twilight Sparkle answered.
“Her too? I’m still weirded out by the fact our principals’ pony selves are nigh-immortal, magical princess.” Rainbow Dash commented.
“I was just as surprised when I met Principal Celestia for the first time.” Sunset Shimmer commented.
“I recall you tried to use magic against her, then remembered you didn’t have a horn.” Fluttershy giggled.
“Before Twilight, she was the first weird girl. That turned around very, very quickly.” Rarity said to Sunset Shimmer’s embarrassment.
“She said she’ll let us in!” Sci-Twi informed her friends.
“Are you gonna do that sunshine and ladybugs thing?” Bumblebee asked Sci-Twi teasingly.
“Hey, leave some funny for me. You’re putting me outta a job.” Pinkie Pie told Bumblebee seriously.
“What? No! We don’t do that anymore! We’re adults!” Sci-Twi denied in surprise.
“Really? She still does it with her Cadence.” Bumblebee looks to an embarrassed Twilight Sparkle.
“Bumblebee, could you behave when we meet Cadence? She’ll already be weirded out by an alien head. She doesn’t need to see it geeking out.” Twilight Sparkle advised.
“Yeah, you’ve been a little too enthusiastic since you met us.” Applejack added.
“Uncomfortably so.” Rarity added.
“Uncomfortably?” Bumblebee repeated.
“Bumblebee, as much as we appreciate your company, you’ve been… how should I say this? Fluttershy told him uncertainly.
“You’re acting like a fanboy, ‘Bee.” Pinkie Pie crossed her arms.
“A fanboy?” Bumblebee muttered.
“Bumblebee, if you really want to make friends with us, don’t open with ‘I’ve been watching you for years’. It’s a little unnerving.” Sunset Shimmer lectured him. Bumblebee didn’t know what to say, his eyes directed to the ground, thinking about what she said, just as the gates open for Cadence to emerge and meet everyone.
“Welcome, Twi… lights?” Cadence greeted them as she sees two Twilight Sparkles.
“Hi, Dean Cadence! I’m Twilight from Equestria.” Twilight Sparkle introduces herself.
“Oh, it’s a pleasure meeting you. Please, come in.” Dean Cadence welcomed them before gesturing them to follow her.
“Does your world have another me? How is she?” Cadence asked the princess as they walk the halls.
“She and Shining Armour were injured after an excursion into the frozen north.” Twilight Sparkle answered in a sorry tone.
“They were attacked by giant monsters made of evil space crystals. I saved them before they could get seriously hurt.” Bumblebee added.
“What… who is this?” Cadence asked about Bumblebee.
“He’s an alien robot from the planet Cybertron. He lost his body, and we’re looking for it!” Pinkie Pie explained gleefully.
“There are students working on something unusual in auto shop. It might be what you’re looking for.” Cadence informed them as they enter auto shop class. Inside, they find a giant robotic torso chained to a car lift, fitted with car headlights on the chest and door-wings on its back, and Bumblebee’s left arm placed on the floor under it.
“There it is: two tons of pure awesome.” Bumblebee confirmed.
“I thought it was a junk sculpture.” Cadence commented.
“To be fair, you never asked.” a blunt voice said.
The girls to turn to the voice and see the Shadowbolts approaching them. “Rainbooms. Good to see you, and I mean it.” Sour Sweet greeted them.
“Who’re they? They look familiar.” Twilight Sparkle asked Sci-Twi.
Upon seeing double, the Shadowbolts are immediately confused, Sugarcoat having to wipe her glasses to confirm. “This is Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, and Indigo Zap. We competed in the Friendship Games.” Sci-Twi introduced them to her. “Everyone, this is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. She’s from Equestria.” Sci-Twi introduced her counterpart.
“Princess of Friendship? What kinda title is that?” Indigo Zap snickered.
“One with rainbow laser powers!” Rainbow Dash said as she comes face-to-face with Indigo Zap. They stare intensely at each other before they burst into laughter.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Cadence smiled before leaving.
“It’s great to see you guys, too.” Sunset Shimmer said to the Shadowbolts as they come together.
“Who’s this stud?” Indigo Zap asked as she side-eyes Flash Sentry.
“I’m Flash. Nice to meet you.” Flash Sentry introduces himself.
“What a gentleman. Is he your boyfriend?” Indigo Zap asked Sunset Shimmer teasingly.
“Uh, well, no. Uh…”
“We, kinda, uh…” Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry stumbled on their words as Indigo Zap snickers.
“What brings you here?” Sour Sweet asked them.
“We’re looking for the parts you have here.” Twilight Sparkle pointed to Bumblebee’s body.
“We found it in Sunny’s backyard. We thought we’d get extra cred for studying it.” Sugarcoat explained.
“The engineering is amazing! The insides are less like machinery, more like real bodily mechanisms like tendon analogues.” Sunny Flare added.
“If you think that’s awesome, we’ve got the piece de resistance!” Pinkie Pie said in bad French as she holds up Bumblebee. “This is Bumblebee. He’s from the planet Cybertron, he’s here to save the worlds from giant crystal monsters!”
“Uh, hi.” Bumblebee greeted them to their surprise.
“Huh, didn’t think we’d meet the owner of this hunk’a junk.” Indigo Zap commented.
“Hey, Barbie, that hunk’a junk’s my mad bod!” Bumblebee defended.
“We’ll part with it…” Sour Sweet points at Flash Sentry. “If we get his number.”
“What?!” he yelped in surprise.
“We wanna to get to know more C.H.S. kids, starting with him.” Sunny Flare she narrows her eyes at him.
“I think you’re taking this too far.” Twilight Sparkle said firmly when she hears a camera flash. They turn to the door to see someone with a purple camera, wearing a motorcycle helmet and a khaki coat.
“Creeper!” Pinkie Pie yelled before they all dash out the door after the creeper.
“You ain’t getting’ away when I’m here!” Rainbow Dash uses her super speed to catch up to the stranger and tackle him, but she somehow misses. “What?! But- I had him!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as her friends run past. Fluttershy helps her up before rushing out the school doors.
“Eighty-One, nab him!” Bumblebee yelled. The stranger slides across C-81’s hood when he transforms and grabs their legs. The Shadowbolts look up in fear, except Indigo Zap who is in awe. As they are held upside-down before C-81’s face, the stranger holds up the camera and shoots a laser blast, releasing them from C-81’s grasp. C-81 kneels in pain as the stranger escapes on a red motorcycle, leaving behind their camera and a green bag.
“C-Eighty-One, are you alright?” Twilight Sparkle and her friends come to his side.
“I’ll live.” C-81 grunted as he clutches his face.
“You’re friends with two giant robots?! Awesome!” Indigo Zap said excitedly.
“Why were they taking pictures of us?” Rarity wondered as Flash Sentry picks up the camera.
He looks through the contents and sees pictures of the girls as early as a month ago. “He’s been spying on you guys for a while. Freaky.”
Twilight Sparkle takes the bag and finds among travel amenities; a gold bracelet, and some kind of rigid purple sleeve with a mystical pattern.
“This bag… it’s from one of the heroes who came with us…” Twilight Sparkle said mournfully as Rarity takes the sleeve from the bag.
“Oh my, this… whatever it is, is very well-crafted. Nylon base, a wonderful mystical pattern, though the stitching looks familiar…” Rarity observed gleefully.
“It’s a scabbard. The other you made it.” Twilight Sparkle told her in a bleak tone as she lowers her head.
“Twilight, it’s gonna be alright. Once we rebuild Bumblebee, we’ll help find them.” Sunset Shimmer assured her confidently.
“We’re joking about the number.” Sour Sweet told Twilight Sparkle.
“Kinda.” Sunny Flare smiled at Flash Sentry.
“The parts are yours. Go, save your friends.” Sour Sweet told Twilight Sparkle sincerely.
“Thank you, Sour Sweet.” Twilight Sparkle thanked her in relief.
“Your friend’s parts are right this way, mister giant robot.” Lemon Zest gestured C-81 to follow, trembling as his terrifying yellow eyes peer at her.
“Don’t worry, he’s not evil. He just looks like that.” Pinkie Pie assured before they hear screaming in the horizon.
“Sounds like trouble!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
They run into the city to find Crystal Terrorcons tearing up the street, terrorizing the populace. “Flash, get the Shadowbolts to safety. We’ll take care of this.” Twilight Sparkle instructed Flash Sentry as Sci-Twi hands him her backpack with Spike.
“But—" Flash Sentry said before Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest grab him.
“C’mon, handsome! Let the superheroes do their thing!” Indigo Zap said before taking him away.
“Don’t do anything funny!” Sunset Shimmer yelled to them.
“Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, take on the monsters with Eighty-One.” Twilight Sparkle commanded. “Everyone else, Bumblebee and I included, will evacuate the people.”
“Let’s pony up!” the girls yelled as they activate their Geodes, granting them pony ears and ponytails, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Sci-Twi gaining wings.
“When I get back home, I’m gonna need Rusty to download this from my head!” Bumblebee observed excitedly.
Offense rushes in with C-81 blasting Crystal Terrorcons left and right. Rainbow Dash picks up Applejack and carries her above a Crystal Terrorcon before dropping her, allowing her to drill through its body. “Need candy over here!” Pinkie Pie, standing beside a candy shop, waves to C-81, who shoves a Crystal Terrorcon into the candy shop, allowing Pinkie Pie to collect candies. As she walks away, she flicks a caramel onto the Crystal Terrorcon, blowing it up.
Rarity is protecting a mother and son from a Crystal Terrorcon with diamond shields before Sci-Twi telekinetically flings it away.
“Go! Go!” Bumblebee yelled as civilians run past him when a green girl trips and is about to be stomped on. He shoots a grappling claw from his mouth to pull her away before the Crystal Terrorcon could crush her.
“Get your memory rock outta here, Wallflower!” told the girl.
“Uh, thanks, robot head.” the girl thanked nervously before running away.
“I wish I was out there.” Flash Sentry observed the fight from afar with Shadowbolts, still holding the camera.
“Are you insane?! These are crystal giants!” Spike scolded him when a Crystal Terrorcon crashes before them. They watch as it stands up and looks down at them before creating a giant shuriken. As Flash Sentry braces himself, the camera shoots a purple beam through the giant’s chest, destroying it.
“Did you do that?” Lemon Zest asked Flash Sentry.
“It’s the camera. What other surprises does it have?” Flash Sentry wondered.
Meanwhile, a Crystal Terrorcon catches Sci-Twi off-guard and kicks her into a wall, flinging her Geode all the way to Twilight Sparkle, who picks it up. When the Crystal Terrorcon comes after her next, she instinctively throws her head forth, flinging it away telekinetically.
“Did you do that?” Sci-Twi asked her counterpart as she stands up.
“Your Geode; it reacted with me like it does for you.” Twilight Sparkle looked at the Geode.
“I had a theory, and it’s conclusive: it works for both of us.” Sci-Twi added.
Elsewhere, a Crystal Terrorcon throws a shuriken at Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, when C-81 takes the hit for them and screams in pain. “Apple Bloom, run!”
The girls run away as C-81 stands up to find the Crystal Terrorcon has picked up Bumblebee. “Leggo me!” Bumblebee demanded.
“Hey!” C-81 shouted to get its attention. “Catch!” he throws the shuriken at the Crystal Terrorcon, which throws Bumblebee into the air before catching its shuriken.
When C-81 tries to catch Bumblebee, he’s instead caught by another backflipping Crystal Terrorcon and it escapes. When the captor flees, the rest of the Crystal Terrorcons follow, and they disappear. “Bumblebee!” C-81 cried out before angrily swinging his shotgun into a window.
“This is bad! Who knows what they’ll do with him!” Twilight Sparkle panicked as the girls gather around him.
“How’re we gonna find where they took him?” Sunset Shimmer wondered as Flash Sentry joins them.
“I know how.” he shows them the camera. “I found pictures of these things’ hideout.” He shows them pictures of Crystal Terrorcons prowling in a scrapyard.
“That creeper sure gets around.” Applejack commented.
“But thanks to him, we know where these giants are hiding.” Rarity added.
“I know this place. Zephyr collected scrap there for junk art.” Fluttershy observed.
“What’re we waiting for? Let’s take him back!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed.
“Without the numbers to combat them, we won’t stand a chance.” Sci-Twi warned.
“Who said we needed to fight our way through? Let’s spring Bumblebee from an evil lair… spy-style!” Pinkie Pie suggested excitedly.
“Will that work?” Applejack wondered.
“It’s the best plan we’ve got.” Sunset Shimmer said.
“Let’s regroup at Applejack’s and plan our next move.” Twilight Sparkle told her friends. “I just hope we’re not too late.”
That night at a hill overlooking the scrapyard, the girls arrive in C-81 alongside a truck and tow trailer carrying Bumblebee’s parts driven by Flash Sentry, all wearing black stealth suits provided by Pinkie Pie. “You sure got a lotta spy gadgets, Pinkie.” Applejack spies on the scrapyard with night-vision binoculars.
“They’re top-of-the-line! How’d you get them?” Sci-Twi asked Pinkie Pie.
“I’ll never tell.” Pinkie Pie replied.
“Recap on the plan: C-81 draws the giants’ attention while we sneak into the processing building where Bumblebee is likely kept.” Sci-Twi recapped.
“Once he’s retrieved, we signal Flash to drive up with Bumblebee’s parts and we’ll put him together to help our escape.” Twilight Sparkle concluded.
“Can’t we just rainbow laser everything?” Rainbow Dash suggested.
“You shouldn’t use the Geodes’ full power for every threat.” Twilight Sparkle told her.
“What’s the point of having this power if we can’t use it all the time?” Rainbow Dash questioned as C-81 transforms into robot mode.
“With great power comes great responsibility, a wise man once said.” C-81 added.
Flash Sentry looks to scrapyard when Twilight Sparkle approaches him. “Sorry we dragged you into this.” Twilight Sparkle apologized softly.
“You kidding? I always wanted to go on one of your adventures since forever!” Flash Sentry responded excitedly.
“I don’t want you getting hurt.” Twilight Sparkle added.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got some great friends to fall back on.” Flash Sentry looks to his friends. “I wanna say again that it’s great to see you, Twilight.”
“Yeah… you too.” Twilight Sparkle blushes. “Remember: stay here with the parts until we shoot the flare.” Twilight Sparkle instructed Flash Sentry.
C-81 transforms and the girls enter him, beginning their operation. “Buckle your seatbelts.” C-81 said before revving his engine and accelerating towards the scrapyard. Before reaching the gate, the girls are ejected into the brush.
C-81 crashes through the gates and transforms, brandishing his shotgun. “If you’re all taking me on… I’ll never stop at one!” C-81 yelled before attacking the Crystal Terrorcons. The girls rush past the unaware creatures, making their way into the processing building.
“Who turned out the lights?” Pinkie Pie said as they enter the dark building before bumping into someone.
“Pinkie, be careful!” Rarity cautioned.
“Sorry!” Pinkie Pie apologized.
“Activate night-vision goggles!” Sci-Twi commanded. They all activate their goggles, revealing the presence of a massive arch glowing with purple circuitry and three glass tanks sitting before it.
“I’ve seen enough sci-fi movies to know that’s a space portal.” Rainbow Dash commented.
Twilight Sparkle approaches the tanks and sees an inactive Bumblebee inside one. “Bumblebee!”
Pinkie Pie looked into another tank to see an unconscious blue boy with an amputated right arm, wearing a blue T-shirt, blue shorts, and a white cowl with bear ears.
“No…” Fluttershy whimpered as she finds an unconscious, injured English bulldog in another tank.
“Who are they?” Sunset Shimmer wondered.
“They’re the heroes I mentioned before! We have to free them!” Twilight Sparkle told her friends urgently.
“Let’s bust ‘em out!” Applejack said before punching the tanks open.
Sunset Shimmer checks their pulses. “They’re alive, but unresponsive.”
“Bumblebee, wake up!” Twilight Sparkle shakes Bumblebee hastily before he opens his eyes.
“They… took my legs.” Bumblebee muttered in a daze.
“Don’t worry, we’ll put you back together soon.” Twilight Sparkle assured softly. Sunset Shimmer carries the boy on her back, Fluttershy carries the dog, and Applejack lifts Bumblebee’s head.
“Let’s get exfil’d!” Rainbow Dash hurried, just when the arch powers up. It sends a massive alien plane through the building, exposing the night sky before turning to shoot at C-81 with a single blast.
“C-Eighty-One!” Sunset Shimmer called out to C-81 as he’s thrown into a ruined wall. Landing before the heroes is a purple robot towering over C-81, armed with a crab-claw-blaster, and a helmeted head bearing purple eyes and a face like C-81.
“We meet again, my lesser self.” the robot greeted C-81 with his own voice.
“You know him?” Sunset Shimmer asked C-81.
“Remember when you said my past is not today? My past… is standing right there.” C-81 pointed to the robot.
“I am Galvatron, your doom.” the Cybertronian introduces himself.
“You captured my friends… to lure me out?” C-81 asked Galvatron.
“How else can I draw out a bleeding spark such as yourself?” Galvatron responded mockingly.
“Don’t hurt C-Eighty-One!” Sci-Twi shouted.
“You should call him by his true name…” Galvatron picks up C-81 effortlessly with his massive hand. “…Megatron!” he slams him into the ground.
“Run!” C-81 yelled to the girls.
Watching them from the trees is the creeper, who takes off their helmet, revealing to be Full Bottle. “I’ve found them.” he communicated into a phone. “Flash is with, well y’know. I was getting sick of the guy.” Full Bottle responded. “Here’s hoping they have the winning formula.” he said before dropping the call.
To be continued…